Sunday Soup #105: Vegan Spicy Thai Peanut Ramen

Oh my gosh... My wife actually suggested an Asian soup! She doesn't do that very often... My oldest son and I love Asian cuisine and will eat it in just about any format, and +1 if it is a soup! But, Becky and Fox not as much, so for her to suggest an Asian soup is pretty rare. Well, I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth... RAMEN, BABY!!

This recipe came from: https://www.rabbitandwolves.com/vegan-spicy-thai-peanut-ramen/

*Pic 1 - https://www.rabbitandwolves.com/vegan-spicy-thai-peanut-ramen/

Variations from Recipe as Written: I used "lite" coconut milk instead of full-fat because it is what my son bought me at the store. And, I added chicken! Yes, I know that changes it from a vegan soup to... well... a not-vegan soup. But, you can feel free to leave the meat out to keep it vegan/vegetarian. :-)

General Thoughts: The prep on this one was not all that bad... There was a bit of chopping on the garnishes, but not much else to do on the front end. The most time-intensive part was the actual cooking, as the recipe called for sautéeing the ginger and garlic, followed by the curry paste, then simmering the mixture with broth and coconut milk before adding the broth/peanut butter, soy sauce, etc. Beyond that, making sure the noodles were done "just right" was the thing that required the most attention.

*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it

The flavor of the soup turned out to be intense and delicious. It was SUPER creamy, with the most prominent flavor being, unsurprisingly, peanuts. Other flavors did present themselves, including lime, curry, cilantro, and spiciness (from the chilis), but (at times) it seemed like they struggled to push through the heavy peanut taste. However, I generally enjoy peanut-based Thai cuisine, so it was fine for me overall. The noodles just picked up the flavor of the broth and were an effective delivery mechanism to get the yummy tastes from bowl to mouth. Finally, the garnishes added quite a bit to this one, and I would not want to make it again without the varied add-ins available (e.g., Thai chilis, mushrooms, limes, cilantro, etc.).

If I am being honest, the broth might have been a little overly sweet for me, with the peanut butter, agave syrup, coconut milk, and green curry making it feel a bit too "heavy." But, the lime juice certainly helped out there, so it was a small complaint for me.

The chicken was also a tasty addition (for us meat-a-sauruses)... I dropped four small (boneless, skinless) chicken breasts into the pot at the simmer stage and let them cook for 45-ish minutes before pulling them out, cubing them up, and dropping them back in the pot. I'd definitely do this again next time. 

Potential Improvements? The only improvements I can think of involve additional garnishes, like crispy garlic slices or grated chicharrones, that could add flavor and texture variety. 

Polling the Fam: I really liked this one, and I think it'll definitely in the running when I get a hankering for a ramen noodle-based soup in the future. Becky was not as sold, saying it was okay but that the peanut taste was too overwhelming. Hunter loved this one and urged me to give it 5 stars, saying he thought it was one of the best Asian soups I've ever made. And, Fox... was Fox and said he didn't care for it.

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)